Diocese of Jamaica and the Cayman Islands

The

The Church of England arrived in Jamaica after the conquest of the Spanish-held island by an English Army during the Anglo-Spanish War (1654–1660). The first Anglican clergymen arrived in 1664, by which time the island had been divided into 7 parishes.

The first church was built between 1661 and 1664. This was the church of St Catherine in Spanish Town, constructed on the site of the earlier Spanish Church of the Red Cross, which had been destroyed by the fighting between 1655 and 1660. Other churches followed in the parishes of St Andrew (Half-Way-Tree), Vere (Alley), Port Royal, St David's (Yallahs), St Thomas in the East (Morant Bay), St John's (Guanaboa Vale), St Dorothy's (Old Harbour) and Clarendon (Chapleton).

Prior to the creation of the Diocese of Jamaica in 1824, the island's churches were under the notional jurisdiction of the Bishop of London. Practicality meant that in reality it was dominated by the local administration and planter elite and failed to gain the support of the slave population. Christopher Lipscomb, with no local loyalties, was sent over to change the situation.

During his 19 years as Bishop of Jamaica, Lipscomb firmly established the Anglican Church on the island, ordaining 73 deacons and 66 priests, consecrating 31 churches and licensing 41 other buildings for worship, and attracting many enslaved Africans class into the congregation. His successor, Aubrey Spencer, continued his evangelical work, converting St Catherine's church in 1843 to the Diocesan Cathedral of St Jago de la Vega and establishing three Archdeaconries (Cornwall, Middlesex and Surrey).

In 1866, Courtenay was coadjutor Bishop of Kingston, and there were three archdeaconries: William Rowe was "Archdeacon and Commissary for Cornwall", Thomas Stewart for Surrey, and J. William Acting for Middlesex.^[5]

Bishops

The bishops of the diocese have included:^[6][7]

1. Christopher Lipscomb 1824–1843
2. Aubrey George Spencer
   1843–1872

   Courtenay was consecrated coadjutor Bishop of Kingston in 1856^[5]

3. Reginald Courtenay 1872–79
4. William George Tozer
   1879–1880
5. Enos Nuttall 1880–1916

   A. Albert Ernest Joscelyne was consecrated bishop on 18 October 1905 by Randall Davidson, Archbishop of Canterbury, at Westminster Abbey^[8] to serve as coadjutor bishop

   de Carteret was consecrated assistant bishop in 1913

6. Cecil de Carteret 1916–1931
7. William George Hardie 1932–1950 (also Archbishop of the West Indies
   , 1945–50)

   Edmund Sara, Assistant Bishop (1937–1940)^[9][10]

8. Assistant Bishop of Guildford
9. Percival William Gibson
   1955–1967
10. John Cyril Emerson Swaby
    1967–1974
11. Herbert Da Costa Edmondson
    1974–1979
12. Neville De Souza 1979–2000
13. Alfred Charles Reid
    2001–2012
14. Howard Kingsley Gregory
    2012-

Notes

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